Desire for Power*:
The chief priests watched as Jesus’ popularity had skyrocketed. They probably stood huddled together in a small group murmuring to each other as they watched people laying palm branches down in front of Jesus as though he were a king. It used to be that no one would dare question their authority. But now this man, this Jesus who was barely in his early 30’s, had been challenging them at every turn. And people were flocking to him. If this continued, they wouldn’t be in control much longer. Something had to be done. So far Jesus had somehow thwarted all of their attempts to trap him. And they couldn’t do something publicly now; the people would riot. It would have to done in secret. But make no mistake, the desire to take control and remove this Jesus was stronger than ever.
Desire for Money*:
Judas Iscariot had a problem: he loved money. For the past few years he had been responsible for keep the money bag for apostles. And so what if he slipped a few coins out here and there for himself (John 12:6). It’s not like he was paid to be an apostle and the work was hard. Surely he had earned a little bit. But it never seemed to be enough. Then one day, a woman went up to the master and poured out an entire bottle of very expensive oil on his feet. That oil could have been sold for almost an entire year’s wages. That would have made the money bag nice and heavy. But Jesus approved that she poured thousands of dollars out onto the ground. All that money, wasted. He couldn’t stop thinking about it. And then, an idea popped into his head. If he really wanted to make some money, he knew of some people that would probably pay well to meet Jesus in dark alley. His desire for money now outweighed his desire to follow Christ.
“Each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. The desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.” (James 1:14-15)
Satan will ensure that from time to time, desires will enter our minds; desires for things that would usurp God as being our focus. What do we do with these thoughts? If we toy with these desires, if we fantasize them in our minds, they quickly take root. Thoughts are the fastest growing seeds in existence. That’s why Paul warns us to “take every thought captive to obey Christ” (2 Cor 10:18). Thoughts and desires left unrestrained eventually become attitudes and actions.
“Then one of the twelve, whose name was Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said “What will you give me if I deliver him over to you?” And they paid him thirty pieces of silver. And from that moment he sought and opportunity to betray him.” (Matt 26:14-15)
Sources differ on what 30 pieces of silver would equate to today. Some say around $100, some say up to $3000. But even at the high end, Judas desired a few thousand dollars more than he desired Jesus. And yet Jesus still sat down at the table with him. Jesus still chose him. Jesus still loved him.
We too have betrayed Jesus; and probably, at times, for less than a hundred dollars. We allow Satan do plant desires in our minds that we cultivate into attitudes and actions. And yet Christ still loves us and wants us to join him at his table. May we extend the same love and compassion to the ‘Judases’ in our lives.
*These paragraphs are dramatizations based off of Matthew 26:1-16